Year 10 revision check list

IGCSE Biology
Criteria
Characteristics of living organisms:

Know that there is a set of seven features that all living organisms possess.

Know the definitions of the characteristics

Levels of organisation:

Know the structure of plant and animal cells, as seen under a light microscope.

Know the functions of parts of cells

Know that all living organisms have certain structures in their cells
Know how to calculate magnification and size of biological specimens

Know the structure and function of ciliated cells, root hair cells, xylem vessels,
palisade mesophyll cells, nerve cells, red blood cells, sperm and ova.

Know and understand definitions of tissue, organ and organ system

Know examples of tissues, organs and organ systems

Identify the different levels of organisation in drawings etc.

Movement of chemicals:

Know the definition of diffusion

Know examples of the importance of diffusion of gases and solutes to organisms

Know that substances move into and out of
cells by diffusion through the cell membrane

Know that the energy for diffusion comes from the kinetic energy of particles

Know how to investigate the factors that influence diffusion

Know the definition of osmosis

Know that water moves in and out of cells by osmosis through the cell membrane

Know how to investigate and describe the effects on plant tissues of immersing them in solutions of different concentrations

Know that plants are supported by the pressure of water inside the cells pressing outwards on the cell wall

Know the effects on plant tissues of immersing them in solutions of different

concentrations by using the terms turgid, turgor pressure, plasmolysis and flaccid

Know the importance of water potential and osmosis in the uptake of water by plants & animal cells

Know and understand turgor pressure

Know the definition, importance of active transport

Know how protein molecules move particles across membranes during active transport
Skills:

Be able to draw a clear data table

Be able to choose the correct type of graph for the data provided and draw a clear graph

Be able to write correct conclusions

Human nutrition:

Know and understand the structure, principal sources and roles of:
carbohydrates
fats
proteins
vitamins C & D)
minerals (Ca,Fe)
fibre (roughage)
water

Know that the amino acid sequence of the protein determines its shape molecule and that the shape of the protein molecules
determine the function

Know how to carry out a range of food chemical tests

-Iodine test
-Benedicts test
-Emulsion test
-Biuret test
DCPIP test
-Cobalt chloride test

Know the definition of the term balanced diet and how it is affected by age, gender, activity, pregnancy and breast-feeding

Know the causes and effects of malnutrition (including obesity, coronary heart disease, starvation, marasmus, kwashiorkor,
scurvy, rickets, anaemia)
Enzymes:

Know the definitions of catalyst and enzyme

Know and understand the mechanism of enzyme action

Know why enzymes are necessary to sustain life

Know how to investigate and describe the effect of changes in temperature and pH on enzyme activity

Know the use of enzymes in fruit juice production, biological washing powders and production of lactose-free milk

Know how to investigate the use of enzymes

Skills:

Know how to identify variables and to plan investigations

Mammalian digestive system:

Know the definitions of ingestion, mechanical digestion and chemical digestion

Know the main regions of the alimentary canal (mouth, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, small
intestine (duodenum and ileum), pancreas, liver, gall bladder and large intestine (colon, rectum, anus))

Know the shapes, positions & functions of the types of human teeth

Know the structure of a tooth

Know the causes of dental decay

Recall the proper care of teeth

Know the significance of chemical digestion, the roles and sites of action of digestive enzymes and the functions of stomach
acid

Know the importance of the functions of stomach acid

Know roles of bile

Know the definition of absorption

Know the structure of villi and the roles of each part of a villus

Know the definition of assimilation

Know that diarrhoea is the loss of watery faeces, how diarrhoea is caused as part of cholera and how diarrhoea is treated
using oral rehydration therapy

Know definition of egestion

Know the functions of different parts of digestive system

Mammalian circulatory system:

Know the features of single and double circulations

Know the advantages of the double compared to the single circulation

Know the structure and function of the heart

Know the functions of vessels connected to the heart

Know the importance of the septum and valves

Know the relative thicknesses of the four chambers of the heart

Know that heart activity can be monitored with ECG, pulse rate and listening to sounds of valves closing and links to possible
diagnosis of heart problems (eg. rushing & valve stenosis, rubbing & pericarditis)

Know basic features of coronary heart disease, its risk factors and the use of diet, aspirin and surgery to prevent/treat it

Know the effect of exercise & be able to explain why changes occur and how to investigate the effect of exercise on heart rate

Know the structure and roles of blood vessels

Know how materials are transferred between capillaries and tissue fluid

Know the basic features of the lymphatic system and its functions

Know the roles of red blood cells and plasma

Be able to identify components of blood from diagrams & photomicrographs

Know the role of platelets, roles of clotting and the process of clotting

Know the definitions of pathogen and transmissible disease

Know the ways in which pathogens can be transmitted

Know the roles of white blood cells

Know that antibodies lock on to antigens leading to direct destruction of pathogens, or marking of pathogens for destruction
by phagocytes

Know how each pathogen has its own antigens, which have specific shapes, so specific antibodies which fit the specific shapes
of the antigens are needed

Know the definition of active immunity

Know that active immunity is gained after an

infection by a pathogen, or by vaccination

Know the role of and process of vaccination

Know that passive immunity is short-term defence against a pathogen by antibodies

Know that memory cells are not made in

passive immunity
Know the importance of passive immunity for breast-fed infants

Know that some diseases, eg. Type 1 diabetes, can be caused by immune cells killing body cells
Classification:

Know that organisms can be classified into groups by the features that they share

Know that classification systems aim to reflect evolutionary relationships

Know how to construct and use dichotomous keys

Know the definition of a species

Know the features of the binomial system

Know the main features to place all organisms into their kingdoms and animals and plants into certain sub-groups

Know the features of viruses

Know how and why DNA and protein data is used as well as morphological features to classify organisms

Know the role of yeast in the production of bread

Know the role of Penicillium in the production of the penicillin and how fermenters are used in this production
Plant nutrition:

Know and understand the definition of photosynthesis

Know and understand the role of chlorophyll

Know how to investigate the necessity for chlorophyll, light and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, using appropriate controls
Know and understand the word & symbol equations for the production of simple sugars and oxygen

Be able to investigate and state the effect of varying light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature on the rate
of photosynthesis

Understand the term limiting factor in the context of photosynthesis

Know the definition of the term limiting factor

Know and understand the use of carbon dioxide enrichment, optimum light and optimum temperatures in glasshouse systems
in temperate and tropical countries

Know the structure of a dicotyledonous leaf, and the functions of the chloroplasts, cuticle, stomata, palisade & spongy
mesophyll cells and vascular bundles (xylem and phloem)

Know and understand the importance of magnesium and nitrate ions in plant growth

Know and understand the sources and the effects of nitrogen fertilizers
Transport in plants:

Know how to investigate, using a suitable stain, the pathway of water through the above-ground parts of a plant

Know the pathway taken by water through root, stem and leaf (root hair, root cortex cells, xylem, mesophyll cells)

Be able to identify root hair cells, as seen under the light microscope

Know the structure and functions of root hair cells (in relation to surface area) and of xylem

Be able to identify the positions of xylem and phloem in roots, stems and leaves

Know and understand the definition of transpiration

Know and understand the mechanism of water uptake and movement from roots to leaves through xylem vessels and loss of
water vapour from leaves

Know how to investigate the effects of variation of temperature and humidity on transpiration rate

Know and be able to explain the effects of variation of temperature and humidity on transpiration rate

Know how and why wilting occurs

Know the adaptive features of hydrophytes and xerophytes to their environments

Know the structure and function of phloem

Know the definition of translocation as the movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem:
from regions of production (source)
to regions of storage OR to regions where they are used in respiration or growth (sink)

Know that some parts of a plant may act as sources or sinks at different times during the life of a plant